Skipping naps

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Skipping naps

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That is a really common question. Should I skip the naps in order for my child to sleep better at night? It is actually the opposite of what you should do. You should actually make sure your child is very well napped and that will help them sleep better at night. It's not logical, but it's true science wise. When we miss our bodies natural desire to sleep, that's called our circadian rhythm, our bodies stay awake and secretes hormones that alert us and stimulate us. It makes it harder for us to go to sleep and stay asleep. If we are well-rested and we get our sleep window right for ourselves and our children, they are going to be more likely to go to bed easier and sleep through the night. The naps are essential to sleep. It's a complete -- They all feed off of each other.

View Kim West, LCSW-C's video on Skipping naps...

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Kim West, LCSW-C

Psychotherapist & Author, The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight

Kim West is a mother of two and a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) who has been a practicing child and family social worker for more than 19 years. Known as The Sleep Lady by her clients, over the past 12 years she has helped thousands of tired parents all over the world learn to listen to their intuition, recognize their child’s important cues and behaviors, and gently create changes that promote and preserve his or her healthy sleep habits. 

West has appeared on the Dr. Phil, Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, TLC’s Bringing Home Baby  and CNN, and has been written about in a number of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Baby Talk,  Parenting, The Baltimore Sun, USA Today, The Telegraph, The Irish Independent and the Washington Post. West hosts the sleep section of The Newborn Channel, played in maternity wards in hospitals across the country. West is the author of The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy with Joanne Kenen. She is also the author of 52 Sleep Secrets for Babies and The Good Night, Sleep Tight Workbook.

Kim received her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. She lives with her family in Annapolis, Maryland.

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